ABSTRACTThe presence of proteins in aqueous media intensifies the activities of bacteria and other microorganisms increasing the use of antibiotics, making processes more expensive due to the formation of biofouling. To mitigate contaminations by proteins of water resources, bio‐based castor oil polyurethane foams were customized to improve the adsorption and recovery of water of pollutants. Hybrid ordered nanoporous coatings of self‐assemble copolymers of poly(styrene‐b‐4‐vinyl pyridine) (PS‐b‐P4VP) having titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, were produced through the self‐assembly nonsolvent induced phase separation (SNIPS) process and were deposited on the surface of the polyurethane foams to enhance the separation of contaminants. The added TiO2 nanoparticles could provide photocatalytic behavior to the foam and be explored for other functions. The performance of the material in water media enhanced at least 65% of the adsorption capacity of dispersed myoglobin on water and was then compared with another coated foam with a non‐ordered copolymer. In addition, the flux of the water solutions through the modified foams was investigated to check if the obtained coatings were effective in the water transport and selection of pollutant substances. To our knowledge, this is the first modulated polyurethane coated with a copolymer aiming for multiple water‐cleaning approaches.

ABSTRACTA bio‐based allyl‐terminated benzoxazine (AMP) was copolymerized with epoxy resins (E51) to enhance the toughness of epoxy resins. The curing behavior of the blended resins was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The crosslinking density and gel content of EP‐AMP resins were decreased with the increasing AMP content. AMP significantly improved the residual carbon yield (Yc) of epoxy resins following high‐temperature combustion in N2 atmosphere, with enhancements correlating positively with AMP concentration. Compared with the value of EP resins (14.92%), the value of EP‐4AMP resins (19.41%) was well increased. The mechanical properties (including flexural, impact, and tensile tests) were evaluated, revealing substantial improvements. The flexural strength, tensile strength, and elongation at break of EP‐3AMP resins were 11.7%, 104.8%, and 67.6% higher than EP resins, respectively. The impact strength of EP‐2AMP resins was 66.9% higher than EP resins. Furthermore, the incorporation of AMP markedly modified both adhesive (lap shear strength and peel strength) and dielectric properties of the epoxy resins.

ABSTRACTThis review presents a comprehensive examination of resin‐based dental composite materials, tracing their evolution from early silicates to contemporary resin composites and alkasites. The development of Bis‐GMA composites by Bowen in 1962 marked a significant milestone, introducing a durable, cross‐linked matrix that addressed wear resistance and polymerization shrinkage issues. The advancement of fillers, particularly nano‐fillers and multimodal filler structures, has been crucial in enhancing the mechanical, physical, and aesthetic properties of resin composites, contributing to wear resistance and low polymerization shrinkage. Contemporary resin composites incorporate inorganic fillers with optimized size and distribution to reduce light scattering, improve polymerization depth, and meet aesthetic standards by matching natural tooth translucency. The addition of fiber structures and novel filler types, such as nanotubes and bioactive glass, has further strengthened composites' mechanical properties and antibacterial efficacy, addressing secondary caries. Despite advancements, challenges persist with biodegradation, optical stability, and bacterial biofilm accumulation, highlighting the need for antimicrobial agents within resin matrices. Emerging antibacterial technologies, including silver nanoparticles, zinc oxide, and chitosan, have shown the potential in enhancing biointeractivity while maintaining mechanical integrity. This review underscores the importance of innovative filler technologies and bioactive agents in advancing the performance and clinical longevity of resin‐based dental materials.

ABSTRACTPoly(ethylene succinate) (PES), as a degradable polymer material, has excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, but its poor crystallization performance limits the processing efficiency. In this work, montmorillonite (MMT) was added to ethylene glycol and succinic anhydride monomer to achieve the excellent dispersion of MMT and optimize the properties of the obtained PES. The in situ polymerization of ethylene glycol and succinic anhydride enabled the insertion of PES oligomers into MMT, preventing the agglomeration of MMT. The existence of MMT could accelerate the polymerization rate of PES, improve the crystallization properties and degradation properties, while maintaining the excellent mechanical properties and thermal stability of PES. Specifically, with 1.5 wt% MMT, the required high vacuum time decreased from 3.57 to 1.50 h and the crystallization temperature increased from 39.95°C to 51.98°C when the composite material's intrinsic viscosity reached 1 dL/g. Besides, the half‐crystallization time under 60°C isothermal crystallization decreased from 6.8 to 2.9 min and the elongation at break increased from 411 ± 16% to 538 ± 13%, and the weight loss after 4 days of degradation in alkaline solution increased from 38.15 ± 1.47% to 57.24 ± 1.90% when 1.5 wt% was incorporated. The PES/MMT composites synthesized by this method have many advantages, such as a fast polymerization rate and excellent crystallization properties, which improve the production and processing efficiency of PES, reduce industrial energy consumption and improve economic efficiency.

ABSTRACTIn order to explore the influence of the pH value of the solution on the growth characteristics of the electro‐hydro hybrid tree of XLPE cable, the XLPE cable was aged by building electro‐hydro mixed tree platforms with different pH values. The growth characteristics of XLPE cable electro‐hydro mixed tree under different pH values were observed and analyzed by macroscopic dielectric property test and microscopic morphology detection. Macroscopic tests on cables aged under different acidity and alkalinity conditions revealed that the aging degree of cables is more severe in acidic or alkaline environments. When there are electrical tree defects in the insulation, acidic or alkaline solutions with different pH values promote the accelerated aging of mixed trees, and the acidic environment has a more significant effect on the accelerated aging. Then, the microscopic detection of sample sections with different acidity and alkalinity was carried out to analyze the growth of branch defects. It was found that both acidic and alkaline environments could accelerate the growth of mixed branches. On the basis of electrical branches, a strong acid and strong alkali environment was more suitable for the growth of mixed branches than a weak acid and weak alkali environment, and the promotion effect of acidic solution was more obvious. At the same time, the transformation mechanism of electrical tree to water tree in the cable under different pH conditions was analyzed. Finally, the correlation between the dielectric performance parameters and the branch density of different groups of samples is analyzed. The fitting model of the branch density on the macroscopic dielectric performance parameters is obtained by curve fitting, which provides a non‐destructive testing method for multi‐branch aging of cables.

ABSTRACTIn photovoltaic polymer synthesis research, it is routine to adapt chemical reactions while respecting the stoichiometric proportions of the reagents. Generally, researchers reduce the amounts of chemical reagents to save materials or adjust the necessary quantity according to the need to avoid waste, as these materials undergo chemical changes and alterations in their properties over time, compromising the performance of their photovoltaic devices. P3HT is considered a reference in the field of solar cells. This study demonstrated that downscaling P3HT synthesis significantly influences the optoelectronic properties and photovoltaic device performance. To further investigate this effect, P3HT devices were fabricated on large‐area substrates with varying pixel sizes, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of the impact of laboratory‐scale synthesis reductions and their potential implications for market applications. The scale‐down synthesis with 50% of the reaction system decreases optoelectronic properties and the performance of a photovoltaic device. The standard synthesis performed in duplicate also demonstrated devices with efficiency similar to the scale‐down method. Synthesis using proportions close to 3.5 g of monomer resulted in better optoelectronic properties, molar mass, and devices with efficiencies of up to 3.04% ± 0.11% for a 0.16 cm2 pixel and 2.23% ± 0.14% for a large area pixel of 1 cm2.

ABSTRACTIn coatings technology, the ability to incorporate tailored characteristics at the surface level enables the production of materials with effective and long‐lasting antibacterial properties. This study explores the synthesis of waterborne polyurethanes (WPU) employing natural oil‐based polyols, particularly castor oil, as sustainable polymer precursors. The WPU‐C2 sample exhibits stronger hydrogen bonding than the other samples, suggesting the formation of physically entangled polymer networks. DSC tests show that the glass transition temperature of the soft segment in WPU‐C2 is 5.5°C, with increased gelation resulting in reduced chain mobility and a higher glass transition temperature. The physical structure of the polymers was also analyzed using X‐ray diffraction, which indicates that 149% signifies its good tensile mechanical performance. In the WPU‐C2 sample, a lower amount of DMPA results in fewer hydrophilic groups, leading to smaller particle sizes during water emulsification. WPU‐C2 exhibits the smallest average particle size at 13.81 nm. Additionally, WPU‐C2, with a gel content of 97%, exhibits the lowest water swelling level at 10.9%. The results were significantly influenced by the molar ratio and chain hydrophilicity, with the reduced DMPA content impacting the water swelling rate. Furthermore, the chitosan nanoparticle weight percentage in the nanocomposites inhibited the growth of E. coli and S. aureus, with both bacteria showing inhibition zones of 9 mm. This suggests potential for use as an antibacterial coating material.

ABSTRACTThe developing trends of electrical and electronic devices in high‐power operation, densified installation, and structural miniaturization challenge the application of the composites with efficient thermal conductivity. In view of the manufacture technology of polyolefin materials, the melt‐processing strategy was designed to prepare the thermally conductive composites based on polypropylene/polyolefin elastomer (PP/POE) blend with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and alumina oxide (Al2O3). By filling hBN and Al2O3 separately into the co‐continuous PP/POE blend, the selectively distributed structure with hBN in the PP phase and Al2O3 in the POE phase was revealed, and the thermal conductivity of the composites was improved with selective filler distribution. The processing scheme exerted distinct influences on the distribution structure and the thermal conductivity of the composites with the same filler content. A superior thermal conductivity of 0.80 W/(m K) was achieved with the individually distributed structure of BN and Al2O3 together with the bridged interaction between PP/BN and POE/Al2O3 phases. The reduction in interfacial thermal resistance contributed to the enhanced thermal conductivity according to the simulation with finite element analysis (FEA). The proposed strategy provides an efficient way to mass manufacture thermally conductive polypropylene composites.

ABSTRACTNon‐woven mats consisting of nanofibers exhibit excellent molecular adsorption due to their large surface areas. Although non‐woven mats using natural resources such as polysaccharide‐ and protein‐derived fibers have also garnered attention recently, nucleotide‐based non‐woven mats comprising DNA molecules have not been progressed. Here, we produced nucleotide‐based non‐woven mats by the electrospinning method using DNA extracted from salmon milt, which is an unused marine resource. Initially, it was tough to produce non‐woven mats consisting solely of DNA. This was probably due to the presence of electrostatic repulsion between phosphate anions of DNA. Instead, we applied an ion complex between cationic alkyl lipids and phosphate anions of DNA and dissolved the complex into alcohol, enabling us to perform electrospinning. The mechanical parameters of the DNA‐based non‐woven mat were superior to those made from spider and silkworm silk that are known to display excellent mechanical toughness as a protein‐based fibers. DNA is not only biocompatible and biodegradable, but also has the ability to bind metal ions and intercalate aromatic compounds. Thus, the DNA‐based non‐woven mats obtained in this study can give insight into the use of DNA as a functional material for recovering harmful aromatic or cationic compounds released into the sea.